F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Justice Yahya Afridi recused himself from the bench hearing treason trial against former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.
The bench was abolished on Thursday today after Justice Yahya Afridi, who headed the bench, recused himself from hearing the case following the Lawyer objected to his inclusion and saying that Justice Afridi was the lawyer of former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.
The hearing of the treason case was supposed to resume today. However, Justice Afridi, who is chief justice of the Peshawar High Court, recused himself from the bench.
The bench deliberated on the matter in-chamber after which Justice Afridi recused himself. However, in his order, he observed that the counsel’s objections are factually incorrect. He explained that he was never former chief justice Chaudhry’s counsel but was indeed a co-petitioner in the case against Musharraf’s Nov 3, 2007 emergency.
Other members of the bench include Justice Tahira Safdar of the Balochistan High Court and Justice Yawar Ali, chief justice of the Lahore High Court.
During an earlier hearing, on March 16, the special court directed the federal government to put special measures in place to bring the ex-military ruler back from the United Arab Emirates.
The special court had ordered that the interior ministry should take action for the arrest of the former military ruler through the Interpol.
